Father's Day
by BillA1
Summary: Synopsis: Even the biggest oak started as a seedling. A John Shayera Rex futurefic.


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****Father's Day  
**A Justice League Unlimited Story - R 'Verse Story  
by BillA1  
Copyright January 2007  
Rating: (PG)  
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Disclaimer: The characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman & Flash and their respective secret identities are all owned by DC Comics. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC are my own creation. This story is based on characters from the animated Justice League series episode: _Epilogue_ written Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie and _The Once and Future Thing: Time Warped_ by Dwayne McDuffie. Note: Spoilers up through _Destroyer_. Set after _Destroyer_ and before the Batman Beyond time period. This R 'Verse tale is not a direct sequel to any previous work, but references material that appeared in _AFTERMATH:_ _The Beads on the String_ and _Bookends_. "The R 'Verse" is copyright 2006. A huge shout out of thanks to Merlin Missy for her beta on this story.

Synopsis: Even the biggest oak started as a seedling. A John /Shayera /Rex futurefic.

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_"What are you supposed to do when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?"  
__"Plant your feet." (John and Rex Stewart - The Once and Future Thing: Time Warped) _

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**(39 years after Toyman kills Rex Mason )

"Tell me the story, Daddy."

It had been a fun day and four year old Rex Stewart couldn't sleep. Earlier in the day, Mommy and Daddy had given him a toy Daddy called a sit 'n spin. Daddy had said that he'd had one when he was a boy and he was surprised they were still being sold.

It was so much fun.

He sat on the platform and turned the big wheel on top to make it go faster (Daddy would get it started) and he spun on it until he was dizzy. Mommy and Daddy laughed, but he had a good time. This was the best toy ever.

Just a few minutes ago Mommy put him to bed and said, "Now you remember that tomorrow is Father's Day. I have to work, so I won't be here when you wake up in the morning, but I'll put the gift you made on your night table so you can give it to Daddy, okay?"

He nodded. He'd made Daddy a pencil holder using a tin can and construction paper. Mommy helped, but Rex colored it all by himself.

Mommy kissed him goodnight and he waited until Daddy came into the room.

"You really like that story, don't you?" Daddy said as he sat down on Rex's bed. Rex grinned.

Dad smiled. "Okay. Under the covers with you, then." Rex scooted down under his bedcovers until just his head was exposed.

"Okay, once upon a time," Daddy said leaning forward. "A long time ago, seven people with different abilities and different backgrounds came together and decided that they were going to try and make the world a better place by working together.

"They were all from different places and lands, but two of them fell in love. The lady was very beautiful. And you know what? She had wings and could fly."

Rex sat up, "Just like Mommy."

"Just like Mommy," Daddy said slowly. "Now under the covers with you." He paused as Rex pulled his covers up to his chin. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, the young man was a handsome green knight and always tried to do what was right to protect the people he loved. One day, some people from the beautiful lady's land tried to destroy the handsome green knight's home. But the beautiful lady didn't want that to happen and she helped her friends ensure that the people of her land didn't destroy the home of the people she cared for.

"The people of her land and some people in the knight's land were very angry with her and she flew away because she felt bad. But the handsome green knight didn't forget her because he loved her very much and after a while they found each other again. But the beautiful lady was still sad, and the handsome green knight was still sad too, and sometimes when people are sad about the same things, they yell at each other instead of talking out their sadness, and that's what they did. Then one day they were fighting an evil wizard together, and the wizard cast a spell on them."

Rex hid under the covers more, because he was always a little scared at this part.

"He wanted to kill them. But what he didn't know was that the beautiful lady and the handsome knight chose that very moment to share a magic kiss, and the wizard's spell, instead of killing them, sent them to sleep for years and years. And when they woke up, they realized they weren't sad anymore, not even a little bit, but they did still love each other. So they lived happily ever after. The end."

"Good night, Daddy."

"Good night, boy."

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"Two caps and two scorecards, please," Daddy said to the man selling baseball caps.

When Rex had given his father the pencil holder, Daddy was so happy that he said he was going to take Rex to a baseball game today using the tickets that Mommy had given him for Father's Day. Daddy's favorite team, the Detroit Tigers, were playing the Gotham Knights. Rex was excited. He could count the number of times he'd left the Tower on one hand. He really liked it when he got to go out like a regular human kid did, though sometimes he still missed his wings.

He'd never been to a baseball game before, but he'd watched a couple of games with Daddy on TV. Actually, Daddy would watch the game and Rex would watch Daddy. Sometimes he'd get very angry at the people playing on the TV and Rex would hurry up and find something else to do because Daddy was no fun when he was mad. And he was always mad at his losing baseball team.

As Daddy adjusted the baseball cap on Rex's head, he said, "Today I'm going to show you how to keep score just like my Uncle James showed me. Then years from now you'll be able to recreate this game in your head using this scorecard."

When the game started, Daddy put marks on the card that Rex didn't understand even though Daddy explained each mark. Rex was a lot more interested in everything that was going on around him and wasn't paying attention to what Daddy was saying. There were people selling hotdogs and drinks and flags shaped like triangles. People around him were cheering and booing the people on the field. And there were lots of little kids just like him. This was so very different from watching the game on TV and he was loving every minute.

It was the sixth inning and Daddy's team was winning and he was very happy. Someone on the field hit the ball and it was coming toward him and Daddy. Rex ducked into his father's lap as a man three seats in front of him caught the ball.

Daddy suddenly looked angry, but didn't say anything as he put his finger to his ear. "Go ahead." Then Daddy looked sad. "Son, we have to go."

Rex started to cry.

"Rex, what's wrong?"

"You're mad at me because I ducked." Daddy gave Rex the look that he would later come to realize was Daddy's 'Things are worse than I'm saying' look.

Daddy sighed. "I'm not angry with you. Mommy got hurt at work, but she's okay. The doctor won't let her come home until tomorrow or the day after. So we're going to leave now and go see her."

There'd been times before when either Mommy or Daddy got hurt at work, but they always came home when they were supposed to. Daddy picked him up and hugged him. "It's you and me tonight. Okay? We'll have fun." Rex thought that Daddy hugged him extra hard just then.

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Daddy changed into his green and black clothes and his mask. Rex hated his own mask but he had to wear one every time he was with his parents when they were wearing their work clothes.

Mommy's room had the funny smell that Rex didn't like. It reminded him of the time when the doctors operated on him to remove his little wings. He didn't like coming to this part of the Tower.

Mommy was lying in a special bed designed just for her so she could lie comfortably on her back. She wore her helmet, but instead of her black clothes, she was wearing a big gown. The gown couldn't hide all the bandages she had on her arms and around her neck.

Rex stood there, afraid to approach until Mommy said, "I'm okay, but I could use a hug from my little guy." She held her arms open and after a slight hesitation Rex rushed into them. Mommy was bandaged in a lot of places under her gown.

Daddy asked the nurse to leave and then he locked the door and closed the blinds so the three of them could be alone. Mommy removed her helmet as Daddy made his mask disappear and they hugged each other.

"How was the baseball game?" she asked Rex.

"I liked it," he said as Mommy removed his mask from his face. "Daddy bought me a cap." Rex wanted to touch the bandages on her because there were so many of them on Mommy. "I wish you didn't get hurt because we left before the game was over."

Mommy smiled. "Mommy wishes she hadn't gotten hurt, too." She looked at Daddy. "I ducked when I should have dodged." She shook her head. "I think I'm getting too old for this."

Daddy didn't smile. "How bad is it?"

"It looks worse than it is. The upside is I think J'onn threw the guy who did this into the sun." Mommy cracked a smile that quickly flattened. "Anyway, they'll probably release me tomorrow night. I'll call tonight to say good night to Rex." She put her helmet back on. "Now you two go enjoy the rest of your day. I'm fine. Really."

Daddy's mask reappeared on his face and Mommy put Rex's mask on him and kissed him on the forehead. Then she and Daddy kissed for a long time before Daddy opened the blinds, unlocked the door and he and Rex left.

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That night, Rex and Daddy had cheeseburgers, French fries and milkshakes for dinner. He knew that Mommy would be unhappy if she knew that's what they ate, but Daddy said it was Father's Day and he got to eat what he wanted and so did Rex.

Mommy called that night and she told him she'd be home tomorrow afternoon. Rex was very happy about that. Daddy was fun, but Daddy wasn't Mommy. Daddy helped him dress for bed and made sure he did his back stretching exercises (that hurt) and brushed his teeth. Then he told him his bedtime story, but this time he sounded very sad.

"Mommy said she would come home tomorrow," Rex said as Daddy turned out his light.

"That's right."

"Mommy could have died today, couldn't she?"

Daddy turned the light back on and sat down at Rex's bed. "She could have, but she didn't. That's the important thing. Your mom is tough and she's going to be fine." Daddy paused. "Sometimes things happen at work and Mommy or Daddy might get hurt, sometimes very badly. But I don't want you to ever worry about that. I want you to know we love you and if something ever happens to one of us, the other will always be there for you. You have to remember that. Your mom and I will never let anything happen to you. Now you get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay." Daddy moved to the door, but before he could turn out the light, Rex asked, "Daddy, will you help me tell Mommy about the ballgame from the scorecard?"

"You bet," Daddy said as he turned out the light.

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Mommy sat in her special chair at the house. She'd come home late in the afternoon, but she still had bandages on her arms and neck. Rex thought that she had more under her clothing.

He waited until she had her eyes closed before speaking. "Mommy? Want me to tell you about the baseball game?" He held up the scorecard from yesterday's game. Mommy nodded and helped Rex climb into her lap. Mommy let out a little groan as he got comfortable. Daddy started to say something, but Mommy waved him off.

Rex looked at the card and wished he'd paid more attention to how to read the marks Daddy made. He couldn't remember how to read the card. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at Daddy. "I want to but I don't remember how."

Daddy knelt next to Mommy and took the card from Rex. Mommy held him close and said, "It's okay. Just tell me that you had a good time with Daddy."

Rex nodded and hugged his mom. He was so glad she was okay. Daddy handed the scorecard back to Rex. "No need for tears, son. Everything is okay. I'll help you." Daddy pointed at each mark he'd made on the card as he spoke. "It was the first inning and the Tigers were batting. The pitcher for the Gotham Knights was Sam Parker. The batter for the Tigers was Jake Sullivan and he hit a single to left field. The next batter was Jim Trotter and he swung at the first pitch and hit the ball to the shortstop who turned a double play. Remember?"

Rex's face brightened as he added, "And the next man hit a homerun."

Daddy smiled. So did Mommy.

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**(35 years later)

Waiting was something Rex did not do well. Patience wasn't a virtue either one of his parents had demonstrated when it came to something like this, but he could really use some now. He and six year old Arthur sat outside the surgical bay at the Metro Tower. Merina and Big Barda had gone on a mission and Merina had been injured.

Badly.

The seats in the waiting area weren't comfortable and Rex's armor made scrapping noises against the plastic back of the chair. Arthur was fidgeting nervously next him.

"She's going to be all right," Rex said, knowing he was trying to convince himself more than reassure Arthur. The boy must have thought so too because his expression was guarded. Rex reached into his armor side pocket and pulled out an old folded, wrinkled card and stared at it.

Arthur looked at him curiously. "What's that, Dad?"

Rex smiled tightly. He shivered with the chills that came with nerves on edge.

"This?" Rex said as he opened up the card. "This is the first baseball game I ever went to. It was Father's Day years ago, but it was also a day my mom, your Nana, got hurt. Your Poppa said something to me that day that I've never forgotten. And I say it to you: no matter what ever happens to your mom or me, one of us will always be there for you. That's our promise to you."

Arthur didn't say anything, but he grabbed Rex's gloved hand. Rex took his glove off and squeezed the boy's hand. He looked at the card, then back to the boy. "My dad and I would go to five games every year and he taught me how keep score. You know _my_ daddy told me you can recreate a game from a scorecard. Why don't you climb up here and see if we can do that?"

Arthur climbed into his lap. Rex looked at the card as a flood of memories from that day came back to him. He put his arm around Arthur and hugged him. Then he turned his attention back to the scorecard. "Let's see. The game begins and the Detroit Tigers are batting. The pitcher for the Gotham Knights is Sam Parker. The first batter is Jake Sullivan and he hits a single to left field. The next batter is Jim Trotter and he hits the ball to the shortstop who throws to second and on to first for a double play."

"Ahem."

Both Rex and Arthur looked up, then stood to face the doctor standing next to them. Rex folded his card and placed it in his pocket and then he grabbed Arthur's hand.

"She's going to be fine," the doctor said. "You can both see her in an hour."

Rex thanked the doctor and sat down. Arthur sat down next him. They were both silent for a moment before Arthur said, "Dad, can I hear the rest of the ballgame?"

Rex smiled broadly as he took the card out again. He said softly under his breath, "Thanks for the reminder, Dad." Then he showed the card to Arthur and said, "The Tigers are batting and there are two outs. The next batter, Sid Kyle, hits a homerun and the Tigers lead one-nothing. Well, the next batter is Aaron Rhoades and he…."

END


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